WINE IS OUR DISCIPLINE …

All our efforts are focussed on creating unique wines and every single work procedure is aimed at producing outstanding quality of our harvest. We hand-select all our grapes and cultivate our vineyards organically. Since 1999, our Wine and Sparkling Wine Estate is a Member of the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (Association of German Quality and Prädikat Wine Estates, abbreviated “VDP”) www.vdp.de

… SPARKLING WINE OUR MASTERPIECE

We manufacture our sparkling wines from grapes selected from our top vineyard sites. For that exclusive tasting experience, the harvest is gently pressed, followed by traditional bottle fermentation – the most sophisticated process of sparkling wine manufacture. Each bottle of sparkling wine has its individual character. We are the first VDP Wine Estate to create a sparkling wine from a VDP.Grosses Gewächs® (German Grand Cru)

FAMILY WITH CHARACTER

We, as BARTH family and member of the prestigious VDP (Prädikat Wine Estates) stand for: top vineyard sites, eco-friendly vineyard cultivation, innovative ideas and most stringent quality standards. Excellent products are always a reflection of the commitment and personality of the people creating them!

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Mark Barth
Having completed his degree in business administration, Mark went on to study viniculture and oenology. Together with Christine he follows the family tradition of winemaking in the forth generation with boundless energy and creative ideas. His practical experience was gained at Schloss Vollrads and completed with work experience on a South African as well as an Austrian wine estate. Today he runs the winery with Norbert.

Christine Barth
Christine is the youngest daughter of Norbert and works with her husband Mark in the family wine estate. She received her degree in International Wine Business (Internationale Weinwirtschaft) in Geisenheim. Thereafter she was able to gain intensive practical experience in marketing strategies, working for the internationally known Californian wine estate Gallo as well as nine months on a South African wine estate. Since joining her father’s business in 2009, her marketing ideas are exciting and innovative. Mark and Christine have two little girls.

Norbert Barth
Having successfully completed his studies of winemaking in 1970, Norbert Barth joined the family business while at the same time continuing with his post-graduate studies in oenology. Wine-making had played a major role from early childhood onwards – even as a young boy Norbert joined his father Hans Barth on tractor rides and working in the family‘s vineyards. Even today, 40 years later, Norbert is passionate about his winemaking, starting with the vineyard preparation as well as cellar work – always looking out for new and innovative ideas.

Marion Barth
Born in Hallgarten, Marion met winemaker Norbert Barth more than 40 years ago. Fully integrated right from those early days, she is responsible for back-office and sales. She enjoys organizing the wine festivals during the summer months and events here at our wine estate.

ENVIRONMENTALLY DRIVEN AND CLOSE TO NATURE

As far back as 800 years ago, vines have been cultivated in the Rheingau. We are tending to our vineyards with our next generation in mind environmentally friendly and sustainable cultivation ensuring a healthy future of our vines. Sowing a variety of wild herbs and flowers between the vineyard rows results in biodiversity and well-aerated, vital soil. We are in a process of continual developmental growth, seeking both to understand the individual requirements of our vineyards as well as supporting the vegetation to harvest healthy grapes of the highest quality. The Rheingau, were our vineyards are situated, with its wide range of different single vineyard sites and its diverse soils and microclimates makes all the difference. Wines of strong character are produced here – true individualists. We understand that the vineyard is so much more than a base for good wine, as cellar work means developing that base and enhancing what nature has provided.

PERFRECT GRAPES FROM BEST VINEYARD SITES

Our wine estate is situated right in the middle of VDP.GROSSE LAGEN and VDP.ERSTE LAGEN, embedded in the impressive Rheingau landscape. The vines under our cultivation are up to 50 years old – best age for best wine. Our vineyards grow on a variety of soil types and density. Dense, heavy clay result in full-bodied and concentrated wines of noble late harvest quality. Coloured slate produces a racy minerality for the Riesling wines and the deep residual loess soil mixed with clay ensures a fine fruit. These different terroirs result in wines full of character with great ageing potential.

Hattenheim Schützenhaus
Positioned to the east of Hattenheim with an altitude of 100 to 150 meters above sea level. As the site is slightly west-facing, it is protected from strong eastern winds. The name is derived from riflemen’s’ shelter. These huts were a refuge for riflemen shooting into air thereby chasing away birds picking at the sweet grapes. Deep soil structure ensures full-bodied wines with intense fruit aromas.

Total site acreage: 66 ha
Soil: mainly heavy loam-clay
Barth acreage: 3 hectares
Age of vines: 19 years on average

Hattenheim Hassel
In 1273 the site was named after a hazelnut shrub “zu hasele”. The soil consists of deep loam and loam-clay with excellent drainage qualities. The full bodied wines have great maturation potential.

Total site acreage: 30 hectares
Soil: deep loam-clay
BARTH Acreage: 1,3 hectares
Age of vines: 15 years on average
Wines: excellent site for top wines like BARTH Riesling Großes Gewächs

Hattenheim Wisselbrunnen
This site belongs to the world-famous vineyard sites with wells. The origin of the name is still under dispute. It may come from the word “Wiesel” (weasel) or “Wiese” (pasture) or even from the Latin word “fistula” (pipe – referring to the well). The site faces south and south-southwest, 100 meters above sea level, guaranteeing optimal sun exposure. Tertiary clay allows for great moisture retention capability, thereby ensuring excellent harvests even in dry summers.

Hallgarten Jungfer
The site is named after a Foundation initiated in 1500 AD in honour of the Virgin Mary. The soil type varies greatly, reaching from shallow gravel to deep loam-clay. The wines are elegant, racy and spicy with great playfulness and a zesty mineral note. Wines show great fruity spectrum

Total site acreage: 54 hectares
Soil: deep loam-clay
BARTH Acreage: 2 hectares
Age of vines: 30 years on average
Wines: these racy, elegant wines are mainly used as base wines for our sparkling wine production

Hallgarten Hendelberg
In the year 1418 the Archbishop of Mainz, Johann II, gave permission for clearance of the “Hindelsberg” in Hallgarten, in turn the people of Hallgarten had to give to the church part of the wine harvested. The soil is deep, stony slate, also known as slate, in depressions there is even alluvial soil.
The wines show great mineral notes with long-lasting fruitiness.

Total site acreage: 53 hectares
Soil: slate
Variaty: Riesling
BARTH Acreage: 1,3 hectares
Age of vines: 30 years on average

Hallgarten Schönhell
The site’s name is derived from Old German meaning “beautiful hill”. The soil types range from shallow gravel to heavy loam-clay. Depending on the exact location, the wines are either full-bodied with lots of fruit or lighter, elegant wines with mineral notes.

Total site acreage: 58 hectares
Soil: heavy loam-clay

BARTH Acreage: 1,3 hectares
Age of vines: 28 years on average
Wines: ideal site for noble sweet wines and Große Gewächs wines

Oestrich Lenchen
The name is derived from the fact that the site leans towards a stream passing by. The soil consists mostly of deep loam as well as partly gravel granulates and tertiary heavy clay. The wines from that site have florid, aromatic notes, rich in extracts.

Total site acreage: 145 hectares
Soil: gravel and tertiary clay
BARTH Acreage: 1,3 hectares
Age of vines: 27 years on average
Wines: BARTH Riesling Fructus

Oestrich Doosberg
The name of the site is derived from “Dachsberg” (badger hill) because its soil is ideal for badgers’ burrows. The site is slightly south-facing, facing the eastern boundary of the Oestrich vineyard sites. A steady wind passes over the site which- especially during moist autumn months – dries the vines, yielding healthy grapes. The loam-clay soil is interspersed with layers of gravel, ensuring optimal drainage conditions.

Total site acreage: 153 hectares
Soil: mainly deep loam-clay with quartzite layers
BARTH Acreage: 1,1 hectares
Age of vines: 29 years on average
Wines: ideally suited as base wine for our sparkling wines with two years maturation on the yeast.

CELLAR PHILOSOPHY

The actual vision how a wine or, in due course, a sparkling wine should turn out evolves in the vineyard. As they ripen, the grapes´ aroma will be an indicator of their later potential. These grapes are harvested selectively at their optimum ripeness and gently pressed. The must is then fermented with natural yeasts. Maturation takes place in steel tanks, traditional wooden vats or oak barriques. We grant our wines the time they need to develop their full potential.

HISTORY

Winegrowing for Generations

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1948Johann Barth
In 1948, Johann Barth marries and establishes the family wine estate Hans Barth in Bergweg 20, Hattenheim – laying the foundation for today’s business. His father had also been a winemaker.

1956First bottling and sales
First bottling and sale of bottles wines. Prior to that, all wines were sold in vats. This meant a major step towards expanding the wine estate to today’s standard.

1960Purchase of special tanks
Special tanks are purchased for controlled fermentation of wines with desired residual sugar. A revolution in cellar technology at the time!

1973Norbert Barth
Norbert Barth joins his father Johann (Hans) Barth in the family business after having received his Diploma in Winemaking and practical experience at Schloss Reinhartshausen

1983CHARTA Association
Joining the Rheingau CHARTA association pushes the quality standards of the BARTH Wine and Sparkling Wine Estate to new levels. The CHARTA wine makers help create a new definition of quality through rigorous high standards.

1989Constructions
Completion of further additional modern facilities for grape pressing, bottling, maturation storage space for bottled wine, separate halls for bottle fermentation of sparkling wine as well as halls for riddling, disgorging and distribution storage. Construction of large hall, 900 m2 surface area.

1995Award Gault Millau
Our BARTH ultra is chosen by Gault Millau Wine Guide as sparkling wine of the year. Our bottle-fermented sparklings are now acknowledged as being part of the best Germany has to offer.

1999Member of VDP
Our estate becomes a member of the prestigious VDP (Prädikat Wine Estates), the world’s oldest association of quality wine estates. In the history of the estate, this is the most important step towards dedication and guarantee of most superior standard of quality.

2000Cabernet Sauvignon
The estate, together with the Research Institute Geisenheim pioneers a project of planting a vineyard with Cabernet Sauvignon vines – a first in the Rheingau region. Today, BARTH Cabernet Sauvignon is the estate’s flagship red wine – maturing for two years in small oak barrels and a further two years in the bottle before release for sale

2010
Christine Barth has married her childhood love Mark Dunn who also studied oenology. Both are successfully working together with Marion and Norbert Barth in the family-run wine estate.

2013
After a creative period of one year, labels, bottle design and logo have been redesigned. In 2013, the completely revamped look was presented for the first time. The BARTH wine estate is presented in a succinct and contemporary, yet elegant and classic style.

2014
After one year of renovation and building, the new barrique cellar has been finished. The sales room has also undergone complete renovation. Its design has won the INsider Award.
From 2014 vintage onwards, all wines and sparkling wines feature the organic symbol in their label. Three years of transition period to organic wine farming has been worth it.

RHEINGAU

Something miraculous happens with the river Rhine in the Rheingau: whereas the river’s course is northbound from its source to its estuary, it changes directions for 35km: here the Rhine flows from east to west, providing sun-kissed, south-facing slopes for our vineyards.This ideal microclimate is the basis for Rheingau`s finest and world-renowned vineyards. Rheingau and Riesling – an ideal pair! About 80% of the wine-growing area in the Rheingau is Riesling, some sites are world-famous.